Juraj Sabol grew up in a Christian home in Slovakia, shaped by the stories of missionaries like Jim and Elisabeth Elliot and Francis Schaeffer. From an early age, he assumed God would one day send him to a distant country. But God’s call on Juraj’s life turned out to be much closer than he expected.

The first time Juraj entered a Gypsy village, everything became clear. “They’re right here,” he realized. “I don’t need to leave my town. This is a different culture that doesn’t have churches. What am I waiting for?” 

Gypsy communities are spread throughout Slovakia and are often highly segregated from mainstream society, with their own language, customs, and values. Gospel-preaching churches are rare. Gypsies are frequently overlooked, but Juraj describes a remarkable openness to the gospel. “They’re desperate,” he says. “They know they need a Savior.”

Juraj was unsure how to reach these communities as an outsider, but God’s answer came unexpectedly through Roman Dirda. Bivocational as a blacksmith, Juraj first met Roman when Roman came seeking work. A Gypsy believer with no formal education or employment opportunities, Roman was an unlikely fit, yet Juraj felt a connection with him. Juraj hired Roman to work alongside him in the forge, and as their relationship deepened, he began discipling Roman—training him not only as a blacksmith, but also as a pastor to lead those in his small Bible study.

Today, Roman is leading a growing church plant in his Gypsy community.  Word of the church is spreading household to household, and new believers are quickly becoming evangelists and inviting others. 

One powerful testimony comes from a man who once violently assaulted Roman and his father. Years later, Roman saw him on a train and, by the Holy Spirit, felt compelled to speak with him. That man repented, came to faith, and today serves as a deacon in the church. His entire family has now been baptized.

While Juraj is replanting a church in a major Slovak city, he continues mentoring Roman and other young church planters with the vision to see churches planted across the 600+ Gypsy communities in Slovakia. 

Juraj may not be a missionary in the way he once envisioned, but through the men he disciples, he is a vessel God is using to bring the gospel to a population long overlooked. This is why we plant churches worldwide: so that Christ is made known in every culture and country.